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After the Constitution had been rejected in the French and Dutch referenda,
member states agreed at the European Council on 16/17 June 2005 on a Declaration
on the ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe
calling for a period of reflection. During this period European citizens
and governments expressed their support for a broader European reform
project and demanded a more democratic, transparent and effective Union.
Celebrating the EU's 50th anniversary in Berlin, EU leaders vowed to put
the EU on a "renewed
common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009",
reaffirming the need for a reform.
In June 2007 a small group of politicians, called the Action Committee
for European Democracy, published a repackaged treaty for the EU, hoping
that a "simplified treaty" could be extracted from the ashes
of the rejected EU constitution. However, several controversial issues
were still on the table including whether to give the EU a legal personality,
the legal status of the fundamental Charter of Human Rights, whether to
curb the extension of qualified majority votes in justice and home affairs
issues and whether to change the voting system.
After a marathon round of talks, the 27 Heads of States and Governments
met in Brussels from the 21 June till 23 June and finally agreed the outline
of a new treaty for the bloc with formal intergovernmental negotiations
which started on 23 July 2007.
In the 16-page
agreement it was established to remove all Constitutional elements
from the text, amending the existing treaties rather than replacing them.
German
EU Presidency (2007), Presidency
Conclusions, Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007, 11177/07,
23.06.2007. (PDF)
Positions of Member
States
In the forfield of the Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007,
Member States could generally be grouped into four categories (EurActiv):
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The Group of the Friends of the Constitution, those Countries who
attempted to maintain the current constitutional text - Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
and Spain;
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A similar second group which tried to keep the current text and would
have liked to see provisions on specific policy areas added. These
were mainly the eighteen countries, which had ratified, as well as
those who were willing to ratify, notably Ireland, Portugal, Sweden
and Denmark.
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France and the Netherlands prefered a different text, in order to
be able to pass it through ratification successfully, following the
failed referenda on the EU Constitution in their countries in 2005.
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The UK, Poland and the Czech Republic opposed the current Constitutional
text and attempted to reopen the debate on some of its key elements.
| Austria |
Austrian
Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, First
building blocks for new consensus on future of EU, Press Release,
28.05.2006. (HTML)
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| Belgium
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The
government of Belgium was generally in favour of a 'Constitution
plus' and opposes a 'mini treaty', nevertheless it would like to
add more qualified majority voting, more socio-economic policies,
more European defence and a treaty revision mechanism, allowing
for further multi-speed integration.
Belgian Premier
Ministre Guy Verhofstadt, Discours du prononcé devant le
Parlement européen, 31.05.2006. (French)
(HTML)
Belgian Premier
Ministre Guy Verhofstadt (2006), Les
Etats-Unis d’Europe, Editions Luc Pire, Bruxelles, 2006;
Fiche de lecture, Notre Europe. (PDF)
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| Bulgaria
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| Cyprus
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Czech
Republic
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Analysis
Handl, V. (2007),
Tschechische
Europapolitik: schwierige Positionierung während der deutschen
Ratspräsidentschaft, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Analysen
aus der Tschechischen Republik; Heft No 3. (German) (PDF)
Rihácková,
V.; von Seydlitz, C. (2007), Václav
Klaus and the Constitutional Treaty – Czech Euroscepsis or
Eurorealism?, EUROPEUM, Prague, June 2007. (PDF)
Esparza, D.;
Mestankova, P. (2007), Los
checos frente a la crisis europea, Real Instituto Elcano, ARI
Nº 60/2007, 29/05/2007. (Spanish) (PDF)
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| Denmark
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| Estonia
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| Finland
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Finland’s
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (2006) Speech,
Joint Parliamentary Meeting on the Future of Europe in Brussels. 05.12.2006
(PDF) |
| France
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Official
Documents
Spanish - French
proposal, Non
paper Hispano Francés, 14.06.2007. (Spanish) (PDF)
Ministre d'Etat
M. Nicolas Sarkozy, Intervention
devant Friends of Europe / Amis de l'Europe, Fondation Robert
Schuman, 8.09.2006. (French) (PDF)
Analysis
Hierlemann,
D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who
wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit,
Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03.
(PDF)
Delors, J. (2007),
France
must vote again on the Constitional Treaty, Les Echos, 23.03.2007.
(PDF)
Stahl, B. (2006),
‘Europe’
in France’s foreign policy discourses: Threat versus chance,
Paper prepared for the EpsNet conference ‘European in Context:
Debating the Project’, Central European University, Budapest,
16 and 17 June 2006. (PDF)
Milner, H. (2006),
"YES
to the Europe I want; NO to this one." Some Reflections on
France's Rejection of the EU Constitution, PSOnline, April PS
Symposium: EU Constitution: RIP?. (PDF) |
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| Germany
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Official
Documents
German Bundestag
(2007), Regierungserklärung
und Bundestagsdebatte zum Europäischen Rat am 21./22. Juni
2007, 14.06.2007. (German) (PDF)
Federal Minister
for Foreign Affairs Steinmeier, Frank-Walter (2007), Speech
on the occasion of the WDR Europe Forum, Berlin, 09.05.2007.
(HTML)
German Federal
Minister for Foreign Affairs Steinmeier, F.W. (2007),"The
constitutional treaty is much more alive than many may think"
Speech on the Berlin Declaration to the European Parliament, Strasbourg,
14.03.2007. (HTML)
Christlich Demokratischen
Union Deutschland, Deutschlands
Verantwortung und Interessen in Europa und der Welt wahrnehmen,
Antrag des Bundesvorstandes der CDU Deutschlands an den 20. Parteitag
am 27./28. November 2006 in Dresden. (PDF)
Analysis
Hierlemann,
D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who
wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit,
Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03.
(PDF)
Europa-Union
Deutschland (2007), 75%
der Deutschen wollen Volksbefragung über die EU-Verfassung,
EMNID-Umfrage. (German) (PDF)
Seeger, S. (2007),
Communicating
European Values - The German EU Presidency and the Berlin Declaration,
CAP Aktuell 6, 20.04.2007. (PDF)
Guérot,
U. (2006), Germany
and Europe: New Deal or Déjà Vu?, Notre Europe,
Studies and Research N°55. (PDF) |
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| Greece
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| Hungary |
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| Ireland
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The
Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D., speech
at a Celebration of Europe Day at Dublin City Hall, 08.05.2006.
Irish Minister of State Noel Treacy, address
to the DIT Conference "European Constitution - Pathways and
Pitfalls", 05.05.2006.
Irish
Department of Foreign Affairs, White
Paper on the European Constitution, 13.10.2005. (PDF)
European
Commission’s Representation in Ireland, Analysis
of the Irish results of a Eurobarometer opinion poll, 09.09.2005.
(PDF) |
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| Italy |
European
Parliament (2007), Debate
with PM Prodi, 22.05.2007. (HTML)
PM Romano Prodi,
speech
on European integration, Portuguese Parliament, 2.05.2007. (Italian)
(HTML)
President of
the Italian Republic Napolitano, G. (2006), Is
there a Future for European Integration?, speech at "The
Future of Europe Series', hosted jointly by FT Business and the
LSE European Institute, 12.10.2006. (PDF)
Vice Presidente
del Consiglio e Ministro degli Affari Esteri, Massimo d’Alema
(2006), La
seconda occasione dell’Europa, Intervento all’istituto
Universitario Europeo, Firenze, 25 Ottobre 2006, (Italian) (PDF)
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| Latvia
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| Lithuania
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| Luxembourg
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Vice-Premier
Ministre et Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration
du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Jean Asselborn; Ministre des Affaires
étrangères et de la Coopération du Royaume d’Espagne
Miguel Ángel Moratinos (2007), L’Europe
que nous voulons, 17.01.2007. (French) (PDF) |
| Malta
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| Netherlands |
Official
Documents
European Parliament
(2007), Debate
with PM Jan Peter Balkenende, 23.05.2007. (HTML)
British PM Tony
Blair and Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende (2007), press
conference, transcript, 15.04.2007. (HTML)
Minister of
Foreign Affairs and the Minister for European Affairs (2007), Dutch
aims for discussions on amending European treaties, Letter to
the House of Representatives on the status of discussion on a new
European treaty, 19.03.2007. (HTML)
Dutch Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (2006), The
State of the European Union 2006-2007, annual report. (Word)
Dutch foreign
ministry, Letter
to parliament on period of reflection, 19.05.2006. (PDF) (Dutch)
Press
Release (English)
Analysis
Dutch Institute
for Public Opinion and Market Research (2007), Nederlanders
open voor nieuw Europees verdrag, survey, 17.01.2007. (Word)
(Dutch)
Vollaard, H.;
Boer, B. (2006), Euroscepticism
in the Netherlands, Paper prepared for the EpsNet conference
‘European in Context: Debating the Project’, Central
European University, Budapest, 16 and 17 June 2006. (PDF)
Aarts, K.; van
der Kolk, H (2006), Understanding
the Dutch "No": The Euro, the East, and the Elite,
PSOnline, April PS Symposium: EU Constitution: RIP?. (PDF). |
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| Poland
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Analysis
Gros,
D.; Kurpas, S.; Widgren, M: (2007), Weighting
votes in the Council: Towards a ‘Warsaw compromise’?,
CEPS Commentary/20 June 2007. (PDF)
Kaczynski,
M. (2007), Poland
and Voting in the Council, Real Instituto Elcano, ARI 66/2007.
(PDF)
Hierlemann,
D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who
wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit,
Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03.
(PDF)
Institute
of Public Affairs (2006), Polish
public opinion on the European Union and the Constitutional Treaty,
Survey Report, June 2006,. (PDF)
Polish
Institute of International Affairs; Institute of Public Affairs
(2006), The
future of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe –
a strategy for Poland, Report, May 2006. (PDF)
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| Portugal
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| Rumania
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| Slovakia
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| Slovenia
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| Spain
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Official
Documents
Spanish - French
proposal, Non
paper Hispano Francés, 14.06.2007. (Spanish) (PDF)
Secretaría
de Estado para la Unión Europea, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
y de Cooperación (2007), Reflexiones
sobre el futuro de la Unión Europea (II), Actualización
del Informe del Gobierno al Congreso de los Diputados, DT Nº
8/2007. (Spanish) (HTML)
Spanish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007), Final
Declaration, Ministerial Meeting of Friends of the Constitution
“For a Better Europe”, Madrid, 26.01.2007. (Word)
Secretaría
de Estado para la Unión Europea, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
y de Cooperación, El futuro de la Unión Europea: Informe
del Gobierno al Congreso de los Diputados, 9.2.2006, (Spanish) (HTML)
(PDF)
Analysis
Rodríguez
Iglesias, R.C.; Torreblanca, J.I. (Coor.) (2007), El
futuro de la Constitución Europea: Opciones para España,
Real Instituto Elcano, 8º Informe Elcano, enero de 2007. (Spanish)
(PDF) |
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| Sweden
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| United
Kingdom |
Official
Documents
British
Foreign Secretary
(2007), UK
position on a treaty to reform the European Union's institutions,
House of Commons, 20.06.2007. (HTML)
British PM Tony
Blair and Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende (2007), press
conference, transcript, 15.04.2007. (HTML)
Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (2007), Prospects
for the European Union in 2007 : The German Presidency, January
to June 2007, presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State
for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Command of Her Majesty,
January 2007. (PDF)
House of Commons,
Foreign Affairs Committee (2006), Developments
in the European Union, Sixth Report of Session 2005–06,
Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence,
26.07.2006. (PDF)
UK Minister
for Europe Geoff Hoon, 'A
new agenda for Europe', Centre for European Reform, speech,
14.06.2006. (HTML)
PM Tony Blair,
Speech
on future of Europe, Oxford University, 02.02.2006. (HTML)
Analysis
Hierlemann,
D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who
wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit,
Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03.
(PDF)
Brady, H.; Grant,C.
(2007), Why
treaty change matters for business and for Britain, CER, policy
brief, May 2007. (PDF)
Corbett, R.
(2007), Britain
and the Constitutional Treaty, EUobserver.com, Comment, 16.04.2007.
(HTML)
Grant, C. (2007),
Britain
and the EU: A Crisis Looms, CER Bulletin, Issue 53, April/May
2007. (HTML) |
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| Positions
of European Institutions
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back
to top
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European
Parliament
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European
Parliament (2007), Debated
a report on the roadmap for the European Union's constitutional
process, 07.06.2007. (HTML)
Pöttering,
Hans-Gert, (2007), Vor
dem Juni-Gipfel 2007: Was wird aus der Verfassung für Europa?,
Rede an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 14.05.2007. (German)
(PDF)
Barón
Crespo, E.; Brok, E. (2007), Report
on the roadmap for the Union's Constitutional Process, Committee
on Constitutional Affairs, A6-0197/2007. (PDF)
European
Parliament (2007), MEPs
debate Berlin Declaration with Merkel, press info, 29.03.2007.
(HTML)
European
Parliament (2007), Debate
on Berlin Declaration, Strasbourg, 14.03.2007. (HTML)
European
Parliament President Poettering (2007), Keynote
inaugural speech, European Parliament, 13.02.2007. (PDF)
El
Presidente del Parlamento Europeo Borrell, J. (2006), de
"Revolutionibus Europae" o el reto de la crisis constitucional,
discurso pronunciado el 16 de octubre de 2006 en el Colegio de Europeo
de Brujas. (Spanish) (French)
(HTML)
President
of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell (2006), L'Europe,
sujet ou jouet de la mondialisation?, speech at the European
University Institute, 13 October 2006, (French) (PDF)
European
Parliament, Resolution
on the period of reflection: the structure, subjects and context
for an assessment of the debate on the European Union, A6-0414/2006,
19.01.2006. (HTML)
European
Parliament, The
period of reflection: the structure, subjects and context for an
assessment of the debate on the European Union, Co-rapporteurs:
Andrew Duff and Johannes Voggenhuber, PE 364.708/v02-00, 16.12.2005.
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| European
Commission |
President
of the European Commission Durão Barroso, J.M. (2007), A
stronger Europe for a successful globalization, speech at the
official ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing
of the Treaties of Rome., 25.03.2007. (HTML)
Vice President
of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Affairs
and Communication Strategy Wallström, M. (2006), The
consequences of the lack of a European Constitution, speech
before the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament,
Brussels, 22.11..2006. (HTML)
European Commission,
The
cost of the non-Constitution, DG Communication, Staff working
paper, 22.11.2006. (PDF)
European Commission
COM (2006) 629 final: Work
Programme for 2007, 24.10.2006. (PDF)
Vice President
of the European Commission Margot Wallström (2006), The
Constitutional Treaty: The Way Forward, speech, Notre Europe
debate on "Plan B: how to rescue the European Constitution",
Brussels, 18 october 2006. (HTML)
Président
de la Commission européenne José Manuel Barroso, Discours
au Parlement européen en vue du Conseil européen des
15 et 16 juin 2006, Parlement européen, Strasbourg, 14
juin 2006. (PDF) (French)
European Commission
COM(2006) 278 final, Concept
Paper: Europe in the World — Some Practical Proposals for
Greater Coherence, Effectiveness and Visibility, Brussels, 08.06.2006.
(PDF)
Commission of
the European Communities, The
Period of reflection and Plan D, COM(2006) 212, Brussels, 10.5.2006.
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